Pres. Rody: Maintain good foreign relationships

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday night at the Presidential Guesthouse, now known as Panacañang within the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH)-11 compound in Panacan, Davao City that Philippines, by all means, will maintain good foreign relations to all countries.This was his directive emphasizing that that China is not off the list amid all the issues emanating from the South China Sea dispute.

“We maintain a good relation with everybody, China does not come in second, they are all first to us,” Duterte said.“The treatment is equal based on mutual respect and the guarantee that business will be successful, and we gave them the assurance that they can recover their investments,” the President added.Last month, there have been talks that President Duterte might consider China as destination for his first foreign visit to relay a message signal to the world that the Philippines is willing to repair injured relationships caused by the dispute for the sake of peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. On Monday, former President Fidel V, Ramos went to Hong Kong, a move to jumpstart his mission as special envoy to China.The trip, Ramos said, is aimed at building friendship, goodwill and harmony between the two countries.“A renewal of friendship and also – a fishing expedition,” Ramos said earlier in a report adding.When Duterte was asked if they discussed the South China Sea issue with the Japan Foreign Minister, Fumio Kishida, the President immediately affirmed saying Japan shares same vision with the Philippines which is to maintain peace, stability and prosperity between nations.”I told him with our position on China, not to start hostilities and Kishida said Japan will do the same, they also just want dialogues,” Duterte said. AJRSP